Monthly Archives: January 2012

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The Pew Research Center has released a new report showing that Republican voters are becoming increasingly unhappy with the field of candidates- the majority (52%) giving them a “fair” or lower rating.

Click graph for link

By comparison, just 46% of Republican voters have positive opinions of the GOP field, according to the latest survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Jan. 26-29 among 1,006 adults, including 341 Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters. In early January, shortly before the New Hampshire primary, 51% gave the field excellent or good ratings while 44% rated the candidates collectively as only fair or poor.

That survey showed that GOP voters’ ratings of the field are far less positive than were opinions of the Republican field in 2008. At about this point four years ago, 68% of Republican and GOP-leaning voters rated the field as excellent or good. (See “GOP Voters Still Unenthused about Presidential Field,”Jan. 9, 2012.)

Like this:

Dennis Rehberg’s supporters tonight are pushing a new GOP poll about Montana’s 2012 Senate race. But a second poll released today—conducted by the same GOP polling firm—tells a much different story.

The first poll, conducted by the firm Public Opinion Strategies for Karl Rove’s secretive organization American Crossroads, shows questionable and uncharacteristic results for the race between Jon Tester and Congressman Dennis Rehberg.

The second poll released today, also conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, has much different results. It shows the race much closer—well within the margin of error.

“Montanans don’t trust Crossroads or Dennis Rehberg, so why would they believe numbers from a firm that can’t even decide which numbers are accurate,” said Ted Dick, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “Congressman Rehberg believes secrecy and unlimited corporate spending belong in Montana’s elections, and he and his allies will stop at nothing to try to influence the people of our state.”

When healthcare gets it right, I think it’s important to notice.Contrary to the HMO stereotype, Kaiser Permanente has taken on the challenge of HIV and instituted policies and guidelines for the effective care and treatment of persons with HIV- to dramatic effect:

Image via Wikipedia

Kaiser Permanente announced (January 26th) the Kaiser Permanente HIV Challenge to help health care providers nationwide improve health equity for people living with HIV by increasing access to HIV care and improving health outcomes.

The HIV Challenge was announced at the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation Care Innovations Summit in Washington, D.C. ( www.hcidc.org ).

Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest nonprofit health care provider, has treated more than 60,000 people since the HIV epidemic emerged 30 years ago, and has reduced disparities among its current HIV population of more than 20,000 people by working to meet or exceed the objectives of the U.S. National HIV / AIDS Strategy.

The crux of the HIV Challenge (kp.org/hivchallenge) is to challenge other private health care providers and public and community health clinics to increase the number of HIV-positive people getting effective treatment by sharing Kaiser Permanente’s toolkit of clinical best practices, provider and patient education materials, mentoring, training and health IT expertise.

HIV is still an epidemic in the United States, with 56,000 people becoming infected each year and more than 1.1 million Americans living with HIV, but one in five people with HIV don’t know they are infected.

“The organizations presenting challenges here today are pushing the best minds in the country to create a better health care system. They represent exciting solutions to help address some of the nation’s most urgent health needs,” said CMS Acting Administrator Marilyn Tavenner.

Health care disparities are gaps in the quality of care associated with inequities encountered by racial, ethnic, poor and marginalized groups. The HIV Challenge is part of Kaiser Permanente’s larger work to identify, measure, research and eliminate disparities in health and health care in the United States. To learn more go to kp.org/healthdisparities.

“Too many people are unaware they have HIV because access to effective prevention and care is insufficient,” said Michael Horberg, MD, director of HIV/AIDS for Kaiser Permanente, executive director of research for Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, and a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. “People with HIV need to get into treatment because quality HIV treatment prevents others from getting infected. Patients on effective therapy and better case management are living longer and more productive lives. However, quality HIV treatment requires effort.”

No disparities among its black and Latino HIV-positive patients for both mortality and medication rates, compared to a 15 percent higher rate in the United States for mortality and for medication

89 percent of its HIV-positive patients are in HIV-specific care within 90 days, compared to 50 percent in the U.S. within one year

69 percent of all its HIV-positive patients have maximal viral control compared to 19 percent to 35 percent nationally

As part of its HIV Challenge effort, Kaiser Permanente is sharing these best practices and tools for private health care providers and community health clinics to replicate: quality improvement programs that measure gaps in care; testing, prevention and treatment guidelines; how to set up multi-disciplinary care team models that emphasize the “medical home” so HIV specialists, care managers, clinical pharmacists and providers work together; and education for both the provider and patient.

For more details on the HIV Challenge, to download the best-practices toolkit and to watch videos of success stories in setting up HIV clinics and reducing disparities, go to: kp.org/hivchallenge

“Our success in the treatment of patients with HIV/AIDS results from the excellence of our clinicians, our advanced IT systems, our integrated delivery system and our effective coordination across specialties,” said Robert Pearl, MD, chief executive officer and executive medical director of The Permanente Medical Group and Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group. “In the same way that we have reduced the chances of our patients dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer significantly below the national averages, we have achieved outstanding clinical outcomes for our patients with HIV/AIDS.”

The National HIV/AIDS Strategy ( http://www.aids.gov/federal-resources/policies/national-hiv-aids-strategy/ ) calls for increased testing so that all Americans can know their HIV status, increased access to culturally sensitive prevention messages, community-targeted prevention and condom and clean needle access. NHAS also calls for improving access to quality HIV care because HIV medications not only improve individuals’ health and extend their life expectancy, they also reduce their risk of transmitting HIV to others. A recent scientific study found that effectively treating HIV patients with antiretroviral medications reduces HIV transmission by 96 percent. The study, known as HPTN 052, found that treating people with antiretroviral drugs before they are symptomatic can reduce the amount of virus in the blood sufficiently to reduce the risk of sexual transmission of HIV to an uninfected partner.

The Kaiser Permanente HIV Challenge is part of Kaiser Permanente’s ongoing research of HIV and HIV treatment. Published Kaiser Permanente research studies include:

A study that found there are no disparities by race or ethnicity in risk of AIDS and death among HIV-infected patients in a setting of similar access to care, despite lower anti-retroviral therapy adherence among Latinos and blacks compared to whites.

A study that found HIV-infected patients are at increased risk for cancer as a result of both their impaired immune system and lifestyle factors, such as smoking.

A study that found 17 measures, such as screening and prevention for infections and monitoring of antiretroviral therapy, should be adopted uniformly to improve the quality of HIV care and treatment nationwide.

A study that found that cholesterol medications can work well among certain HIV patients who are at risk for cardiovascular disease.

About the Care Innovations Summit:

Sponsored jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Health Affairs, and the West Wireless Health Institute, the Care Innovations Summit brings together more than 1,000 health care leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, government officials, and finance experts to stimulate investment in a high-quality, sustainable health care system. Made possible by the Affordable Care Act and the Obama Administration’s commitment to open government, the Summit represents a new opportunity for industry and government to work together to help spur innovation in the public and private sectors to improve health care quality as never before and lower costs through improvement.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, our mission is to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 8.9 million members in nine states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: http://www.kp.org/newscenter .

I like to help students out- especially when it involves greater understanding of our community. Please pass along to others who may qualify.

LESBIAN RESEARCHER SEEKING PARTICIPANTS FOR STUDY ON LESBIANS’ EXPERIENCES WITH HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS
My name is Melissa St. Pierre and I am a lesbian doctoral student from the University of Windsor (ON, Canada). I am looking for women who are interested in participating in a research study. You can participate if:

You are a lesbian.

You are 16 years or older and live in Canada
OR
You are 18 years or older and live in the United States

Chance to win 1 of 5 $100 cash prizes!

This study has received clearance from the University of Windsor’s Research Ethics Board.

While the question may seem inflammatory and derisive, it’s totally fair. And The Montana Democrats have done their homework:

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How did Jon Tester and Congressman Dennis Rehberg spend the month of January? The difference couldn’t be more obvious.

Jon Tester traveled thousands of miles across the Treasure State, holding dozens of meetings and public events attended by more than 1,000 Montanans from across the political spectrum—discussing everything from online safety to consumer protection to job creation in Montana.

As for Dennis Rehberg? Not counting plenty of interviews with newspapers, TV and radio stations, Rehberg’s only public event was a political news conference announcing his Senate bid—surrounded Republican legislators known for comparing women to cattle and birther bills.

“Unlike Jon Tester, Congressman Dennis Rehberg thought January was vacation time,” said Ted Dick, Executive Director of the Montana Democratic Party. “After 35 years in politics, Congressman Rehberg has he’s lost touch with Montana, and his decisions are so irresponsible he apparently doesn’t want to face the music at home.”

Not including press interviews, political events, or “work” in Washington, here’s what Congressman Dennis Rehberg did in January:

January 12

Addressed Sentinel Kiwanis Club (Missoula)

(Rehberg also held political press conference in Helena during which he filed for U.S. Senate surrounded by Montana lawmakers)

January 19

Addressed Montana Chamber of Commerce (Helena)

Not including press interviews, political events, or work in Washington, here’s what Jon Tester did in January:

January 2:

Visited U.S. Government class at Harlem High School (Harlem)

Hosted Economic Development Roundtable (Harlem)

Met with Fort Belknap Tribal Council (Fort Belknap)

Visited U.S. Government class at Rocky Boy High School (Box Elder)

Held Veterans Roundtable (Box Elder)

January 4:

Visited Black Coffee Roasters (Missoula)

Met with local realtors (Missoula)

Met with Ravalli and Missoula Counties Suicide Task Force (Missoula)

Held roundtable with Missoula Head Start (Missoula)

Visited U.S. Government class at Sentinel High School (Missoula)

Met with Lance Corporal Tomy Parker, U.S. Marine Corps (Ronan)

January 5:

Addressed Daybreak Rotary (Kalispell)

Met with Mayor John Muhlfeld and City Council (Whitefish)

Toured Whitefish Care and Rehabilitation Center (Whitefish)

Met with Sheriff Chuck Curry (Kalispell)

Hosted online safety forum with Facebook (Kalispell)

Hosted online safety forum with Facebook (Billings)

January 6:

Visited Social Studies class at Skyview High School (Billings)

Met with Rocky Mountain College President Michael Mace and Greg Kohn (Billings)

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D Gregory Smith is a gay, HIV+ native Montanan; a Rome-educated Episcopal priest and a licensed mental health counselor. He is a member of the board of directors of Pride Foundation and Interchange.
He is also a teacher, health educator, firm and gentle activist, poet, theologian, spiritual adventurer, husband, interviewer, geek, opinionated and witty social-justice-oriented optimist who loves to write- and he does (when he can find time) here and at Bilerico.com. He is also a contributor to several other blogs and sites, including the newsmagazine LGBTQ Nation.

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